Selection Monday Quotes

On the No.4 seed selection: “Obviously, thrilled. Don’t know obviously a lot about the different teams. I think I just recently saw where Army won their conference tournament. Really well coached team, I do know that. They’ll bring a level of toughness here into Comcast Center. Love our bracket. You’ve got to be able to take one game at a time to be able to advance and move on.”

On a potential Sweet 16 matchup with Tennessee: “It’s really been since 2006, the last time we’ve had a game against Tennessee so it’d be a tremendous honor. It would definitely be a game that we would welcome and that we would look forward to.”

On starting the tournament at Comcast Center: “It’s huge. We appreciate it. I think this has been four years in a row for us to be able to have the home-court advantage. To be able to have your crowd, to be able to have the great fans that we have, to be able to come out, sleep in your own beds, to have a great routine. [It’s] something that we’re really excited about.”

On if there are distractions playing at home: “For us it’s like any other home game in terms of your preparation and how we get ready for games. I think it gives us a really good routine. I think sometimes when you get into hotels you can get out of your routine. I think it gives us a great routine.”

On a renewed sense of purpose after the ACC Tournament: “It’s one and done and your season could be over or you get to advance and move on. There’s definitely a level of understanding and kind of a renewed focus when you talk about just knowing that this is it. This is the best way for us to be able to send our seniors out, all five of them, in the best direction by giving the best 40 minutes we can every time we step out on the floor.”

On preparing for the tournament: “We’ve had one of our best weeks at practice. When you talk about just working extremely hard, putting a lot of things together, fine-tuning other things that you needed to do, we’ve been able to do that.”

On their seed: “We’re happy with a four seed. Seeding doesn’t matter. It’s all about who’s going to finish the strongest. I’m definitely excited.”

On playing at home: “It’s a huge advantage. We have the home court advantage. We play here all year long and now people have to come in and play against us.”

On it being her last NCAA Tournament: “I just come out and give it everything I have every night because you never know what night is going to be the last game. It’s the last, so it’s all about giving everything you have left because this is our last chance at it.”

On the two week layoff: “It’s good to have the rest, but I’m definitely itching to get out there and play. We didn’t finish the way we wanted to in the conference tournament so we’re ready for this.”

On sending the senior class out the right way. “Every year it’s about the seniors and sending them out [the right way]. Now that we’re seniors, our mindset it to come out and play our hardest because this is our last shot at it. It’s hard. Every year you have that thought that you’ll have another year, but now this is it. It’s about everything. You’ve got to bring your best shot.”

On Maryland’s tournament seeding: “You have to be happy with it. We just have to handle business day by day.”

On what Maryland has learned throughout the season that it will bring to the tournament: “We learned to stay together, to play for each other and build on our chemistry. We have team chemistry but you can always gain more from learning each other’s game on the court.”

On hopes for the tournament: “My hope is to get to Nashville! I’m excited, we’re all excited.”

On thoughts going against Army: “I know that they’ve won their conference and any team that wins their conference is a force to be reckoned with. Obviously everyone who gets to the tournament can play; if we are playing them, or UConn or anyone we are going in with the same intensity and mentality.”

On their game mentality: “There is no time for us to gauge each team. We just need to go into every game with the mentality, to break down the other team right off the start instead of coasting into the game.”

On what she wants to bring to the tournament: “To be more aggressive offensively and defensively. Sometimes I play it safe and I can’t do that in the tournament because it’s one and done time now.”

On Coach Frese’s words before start of tournament play: “Coach B actually introduced a new word to us today. It’s the African word ‘Ubuntu’, which means togetherness. The Celtics used it in their 2008 championship run so that’s what we are trying to focus on from today and on. We just have to stay together and be for each other because it’s us against the world now.”

On playing at home for the first two rounds: “It’s the biggest the tournament of the year, so everyone’s going to have nerves. Being at home makes us feel a little bit more comfortable, especially with having all our fans and the support we have; it’s going to be a big advantage.”

On playing in her last tournament: “Right now, it’s play every game like your last, give it all you got. That’s the message that the five seniors are giving to everybody on the team. That’s the motto we have to play with every possession, every game.”

On representing the ACC one last time: “It’s great being a part of the ACC. I’m thankful that we were one of the founders. With us leaving, of course it’s sad, but it’s a new journey. The history we have had here has been amazing. The competition has been amazing and we’re ready to bring that to the Big Ten.”

On her first NCAA:br> “I’m pumped. It didn’t even matter who we were playing against. I’m just excited for Sunday. It didn’t matter who we played or what region we were in.”

On practices since the ACC tournament: “It’s getting very competitive in practice. The North Carolina lose made us realize that we have to work harder. That’s the most admiring part; seeing us work harder to reach a common goal.”

On being a senior now “Four years sitting through the Selection Show and now sitting in the front row, it’s definitely a different feeling the fourth time around.”

On looking ahead at the bracket: “Personally, I don’t think I’ll look ahead in the bracket and that’s a mentality Coach B has given us the entire year; never look ahead, just stay in the moment and focus on the next game. I think that’s what we have to do, just go one game at a time, and that’s what tournaments are about.”